Personal Services

About Personal Services

Wondering whether Personal Services is worth studying? What matters is what graduates actually earn, where they end up working, and which colleges produce the most of them. Most graduates end up in this field, so it is worth knowing what Food Scientists and Technologists earn and how the role is projected to grow.

Cosmetology, culinary arts, funeral service, and personal training. Client-facing trade programs with strong self-employment potential and fast paths to certification. Four years after finishing the degree, graduates in this field earn a national median of $47,668, per College Scorecard. You can study it at 2,079 colleges and universities across the country, so location is rarely the limiting factor. About 157,937 students complete a degree in this area every year.

Median Earnings · 1yr

$33,231

Median Earnings · 4yr

$47,668

Colleges Offering

2,079

Graduates / Year

157,937

Specializations

2

Avg Net Price / yr

$18,237

Is a Personal Services Degree Right for You?

Is the Investment Worth It?

At median 4-year earnings of $47,668 and an estimated $72,948 four-year net cost, earnings breakeven against a baseline wage takes approximately 4.1 years. Compare your specific program carefully.

How Much Do Personal Services Majors Earn?

Pay for Personal Services graduates climbs fast in the first few years out. The median start is $33,231 one year after graduation, rising to $47,668 by year four, so the early salary is not the ceiling. Source: College Scorecard, across all 2,079 US institutions offering programs in this field.

What Can You Do With a Personal Services Degree?

Career Paths for Personal Services Graduates

Studying Personal Services does not lock you into one job title. It opens 8 occupations tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from entry-level roles to senior ones, and Food Scientists and Technologists pays the most among them at a median $88,720 a year. Each row below adds national wages, employment levels, and the 10-year growth outlook so you can weigh the rest.

Another common path leads to what a Funeral Service Manager typically earns and how the field is trending.

Personal Services Specializations

Personal Services spans 5 specializations, and the choice among them will not swing your paycheck much: four-year earnings run from $47,668 to $60,056 across the whole group. Each row links to a full program profile with institution counts and annual completion data. Source: College Scorecard.

The highest-paying specialization is the cost and outcomes for a Funeral Service and Mortuary Science program, which is worth a closer look before settling on the broader field.

Best Colleges for Personal Services

These are the 20 colleges that graduate the most students in Personal Services, ranked by how many completed the degree in the most recent reporting year, not by selectivity or prestige. Acceptance rate, net price, earnings, and graduation rate for each one come from College Scorecard and IPEDS.

By that measure, the list starts with the cost and admissions data for Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts-Boulder.

Ranked by number of Personal Services graduates per IPEDS completion data. Acceptance rate, net price, earnings, and graduation rate from College Scorecard. Read our methodology →

How Personal Services Compares to Similar Majors

Plan Your Path

Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Personal Services degree, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find programs that match your profile.

Personal Services Degree: Pros & Cons

Weigh the financial trade-offs in Personal Services carefully before committing to it. The 3 strengths and 2 concerns below come from College Scorecard earnings, BLS job growth data, and IPEDS completion counts, so you can see exactly what is driving the caution.

Personal Services Degree: Frequently Asked Questions